Attachment for buggy-tops.



- W; G. NEH. ATTACHMENT FOR BUGGY TUPS.

, APPLICATION FILED JUNE-24. 1907.

No.e'7s,164. I PATEN'I'ED 1150.10.1907.

(inventor,

Witnesses ETERS :0 WASHINGTON. n. c.

PATENT OFFICE.

WHITMAN C. NEFF, OF LAWBENOEVILLE, ILLINOIS.

ATTACHNEENT FOR BUGGY-TOPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907.

Application filed June 24. 1907- Serial No. 380-532.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, WHITMAN C. NEFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lawrenceville, in the county of Lawrence and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Buggy-Tops, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to carriage-tops, and

has for-its object the production of means whereby a collapsible vehicle-seat cover may be raised or lowered with a saving of manual efiort; said means are further designed to hold the braces of said cover in their straightened relation, so that the jar of the vehicle will not break the jointthus preventing wear ofthe parts, as well as holding the top steady and preventing racking and rattling. v

To these ends, my invention consists of the elements, combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described, and succinctly defined in the appended claims. 7

In the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as a part of this specification, and in which I have illustrated a merely preferred form of embodiment of the invention. Figure 1 is a perspective, showing my invention as applied to a buggy-top; and Fig. 2 is a detail, on an enlarged scale,- showing the spring and its connections.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 1 designates the body of the buggy, of which 2 marks the seat, and 3 the side-rails upon the side-boards of the seat.

The usual bows of the cover-frame are numbered 4, 5 and 6, and the horizontal bow-brace, which maintains the bows in their proper separated positions'when the top is raised is designated by the numeral 7, and possesses the customary downwardly folding joint 8, being pivoted at each end to the bows l and 5 respectively, as at 9 and 10.

The main brace, which preferably has its upper end pivotally connected with the above-mentioned joint 10, is composed of the members 11 and 12, coupled by the kneejoint 13, which breaks rearwardly, as usual.

To the ends set out in the preliminary paragraphs of this specification 1 add to the construction thus far described, a spring con' necting the one member of the main-brace wlth a relatively fixed part of the vehicle.

14 indicates such a spring, preferably a spiral spring, provided at one end with an eye 15 for securing it to any fixed joint in vertical alinement with the main-brace, as for instance the bow-pivot 16, and having at its other end a clip 17 adapted to embrace and slide upon the section of the main-brace to which it is attached, a thumb-nut 18 being provided whereby the clip may be made tighter about the main-brace, thus holding it securely in place thereon.

! In practice the spring 14 is attached to one of the main-brace sections, preferably the lower by means of its clip 17, andby its retractile power aids in keeping the main-brace,

necessary to start the movement, the spring 14 affording the necessary assistance to complete the opening movement. The end of the spring is adjustably secured to the main-brace by means of clip 17 so that its tension may be varied as desired, the same being of course least when the. clip is attached at the point on the brace nearest the fixed end of the spring, and greater at points on either side thereof.

The mode of operation of the invention appears to be suficiently plain in view of the foregoing description, and further reference thereto is accordingly omitted. It should be said, however, that the specific form of buggy top, supports therefor, spring, and connections are unimportant, the real invention being defined in the following claims.

What 1 claim is:

1. In combination with the bows of a collapsible buggy-top, a jointed brace, and a spring member having one end attached to a relatively fixed part of the vehicle, and having at its other end a clip adapted to embrace and slide upon said brace, and means for fixing the clip in desired position on the brace.

2. In combination with the bows of a collapsible buggy-top, a jointed brace, and a spring member having one end attached to a relafiively fixed part of the vehicle, and haV- f In testimony whereof I aflix my signature ing at its other end a clip adapted to embrace in presence of two witnesses. and slide. upon said brace, and. means for fix- J T i i ing the clip in desired position on the brace, HITMAB ABE 5 said means comprising a thumb-screw where- 1 \Vitnesses:

by the clip may be caused to grip said brace 2 W. H. H MIEURE, firmly. GARDNER BARNHART. 

